JIRJIS جرجيس
George, St. George of England. The author of the Ghiyasu ‘l-Lughah says the “Jirgis Baqiya is the name of the prophet who was on several occasions killed by his own people, and was again raised to life by God, and over and over again instructed and preached the way of God. He is called Baqiya on account of his being raised up from the dead.” This seems to be a wild and exaggerated account of the story of George of Cappadocia, who suffered death in the first year of the reign of Julian. It is a mystery how this George ever was admitted into the Christian Calendar at all, and still more marvelous how he became a Muslim prophet as well as the patron saint of England. Jalalu ‘d-din as Suyuti, in his History of the Temple of Jerusalem, says Jirjis was at Damascus in the time of Mu’awiyah the Khalifh. [AL-KHIZR.]